Anchor



Dec. 31, 1946. w, H, WOQD, R 2,413,596

ANCHOR Filed March 17, 1944 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Dec. 31, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ANCHOR William H'. Wood, Jr., Ansonia; Conn.

Application March 17, 1944, Serial No. 526,947

Claims. 1.

This invention'relates to anchors. and has for an. object. to. provide an improved and simplified construction. whichwill greatly. facilitate release of the. anchor. In theuse of anchors infishing boats and the like it is, oftendifiicult to release the anchor as it may be caught between rocks and so forth, oftennecessitating breaking of the chainor rope andloss of the anchor. It is therefore an object of this invention. to produce a structure to insure. easy and effective release of the anchor, but one which will not interfere with theeifectiveness of the anchor as a holding. or

. anchoring means.

With the foregoing and other objects in view I havedevised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification. It is, however, to be understood the invention is not limited to the specific construction and arrangement shown Ib-Ilt may embody various changes and modifications within the scope of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatical view showing the anchor in use and how it may be released, the anchor itself being shown in side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the anchor on a somewhat larger scale, and

Fig. 3 is a cross section substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking toward the body of the anchor.

The anchor comprises a body 5 having flukes 6 which may Ibe of anydesired type, shape and number. In the present showing there are four flukes arranged in the general shape of a cross, and extending in a general radial direction from the center, but it will be understood that other shapes and arrangements may be used. Swivelled to this body so as to turn relative thereto is an elongated shank I, it being swivelled to the body at 8 so as to be turnable in the body about the longitudinal axis of the shank. At its opposite end the shank is counterweighted, preferably Iby a suitable ball or weight 9, and it is also preferred that the shank :be swivelled in this Weight so as to be turnable relative thereto the same as with respect to the body. Adjacent the Ibody 5 the shank is provided with an offset I0. providing a laterally extending recess II. This off set may be made by bending the shank laterally and then backwardly upon itself as indicated. The anchor chain, rope or cable I2 is connected to the shank I by a connecting means which is freely slidable longitudinally on the shank. This may take different forms, but a very simple and tom I5 with one or more of the flukes embedded.

in the material such as sand, mud and the like forming this bottom, and the pull of the boat indicated diagrammatically at I6 will. draw the connection I3 along the shank to the weighted end 9, and the flukes will provide the anchoring or holding effect. In ordinary anchors where this connection for the chain or rope is permanently at the free end of the shank it might be diflicult to release the anchor should the flukes be jammed between rocks or other hard material as the anchor would be released by lifting the free end of the shank. In this case either the cable or the anchor itself might be broken rather than be released. With the present construction, however, it is merely necessary to shift the boat to a position substantially directly over the anchor as indicated in dotted lines, and a pull on the connecting chain or rope will shift the slidable connection I3 along the shank to a position adjacent the body 5, and in this case it will move into the lateral recess II in the offset Ill. Then if the operator will pull substantially vertically on the cable it will be seen that the lift on the body is in direct alignment therewith and will withdraw the fiukes directly upwardly out of the material of the bottom I5, readily releasing them. The weight 9 will prevent the free end of the shank being drawn upwardly under the lifting action of the chain or cable, so that the pull on the body is directly upward, or a lifting action rather than a cramping or tilting action. Also at this time the slidable connection I3 is closely adjacent the head so as to minimize the leverage effect tending to lift the weighted end of the shank. Furthermore, this tendency to lift the weighted end of the shank is still further prevented by the ofiset portion I0 and the connection I3 being seated in the recess II by which it is retained. As this ring slides toward the body it moves into this recess and then an upward tension on the chain or rope will turn the shank about its axis due to the swivel connection to the body 5, permitting the offset III to assume a position above the body portion ofthe shank. This effectively retains the slidable connection I3 and prevents it moving back along the shank away from the body 5 as a lifting tension is placed on 3 the cable, and it further prevents it sliding back toward the weight 9 should for any reason the anchor be sufiiciently tightly held that a lifting pull on the chain would lift the weight 9 before releasing th anchor. It is not necessary that the shank be turnable in the weight 9, but it is preferred that such a connection be used so that should the weight happen to be wedged between rocks or the like it would not interfere with the proper turning of the shank to permit the offset H] to assume the position above the axis of the shank, for the effect described above. It will be understood from the above that the anchor is of very simple construction and one which may be very readily released. It is also a construction which will not be readily jammed or fouled by seaweed or other materials to prevent its functioning as described.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention I claim: 1. An anchor comprising a body having suitable flukes, a shank connected at one end for turning movements in the body, a counterweight on the opposite end of the shank, a ring between the body and Weight and slidable along the shank, a flexible chain or cable connected to the ring, and an offset loop in the shank adjacent the body adapted to receive and retain the ring on a lifting pull on the chain or cable to release the flukes.

2. An anchor comprising a body having suitable flukes, an elongated shank connected at one end to the body for turning movements therein and Weighted at the other end, means slidable longitudinally on the shank for connecting a flexible chain or cable to the shank and .a laterally offset recess in the shank adjacent the body adapted to receive and retain said slidable connection by a lateral pull on the chain or cable to release the flukes.

3. An anchor comprising a body having suitable flukes, an elongated shank connected at one end to the body for turning movements therein, a counterweight at the other end of the shank swivelled on the shank to permit turning of the shank therein, and a laterally offset return bend in the shank adjacent the body adapted to receive and retain said slidable connection through a lateral pull on the chain or cable to release the anchor.

4. An anchor comprising a body including flukes, an elongated shank connected at one end to the body for turning movements therein and Weighted at the other end, a connection for a chain or cable slidable longitudinally on the shank, and a lateral offset in the shank adjacent the body providing a laterally extending recess adapted to receive and retain said connection so that an upward pull on the chain or cable is imparted to the shank adjacent the body to release the flukes by lifting the body upwardly.

5. An anchor comprising a body having suitable flukes, a shank consistingof a single rod connected at one end to the body and weighted at the other end, a ring embracing the rod and slidable longitudinally of the rod for connecting a flexible chain or cable to the shank, and said rod being bent laterally upon itself to form an offset recess in the shank adjacent the body adapted to receive and retain said connection by a lifting pull on the chain or cable to release the anchor.

WILLIAM H. WOOD, JR. 

